5 Boys Sent Home For Being American

“Driven from every other corner of the earth, freedom of thought and the right of private judgment in matters of conscience direct their course to this happy country as their last asylum.” Samuel Adams

We, Americans, are just not one nation of people, nor did we come from one exact location. America’s coast, valleys, and mountains are populated with imbricate multiplicity of ethnicity, culture, and religion with one common dream: to make life better. Our founding fathers knew that we were all different. If they hadn’t believed so, the 1st Amendment would not be one that gave Americans almost unlimited freedom of expression. So why cannot Five American Boys wear shirts to school that on a holiday celebrated by Mexico?

Yesterday was Cinco De Mayo, translated as May the 5th, is a day in 1862 when the French were defeated near Puebla, Mexico trying to collect a war debt. Yet on this almost 150 years ago, 4,000 Mexican soldiers thwarted France’s advance in near Puebla. The day according to Huffingpost.com is not distinguished as the Mexican Independence Day as many think, which is September 16th, but celebrated similar to that of the American-Irish St. Patrick’s Day. American’s observes, and allow commencement of this holiday too, because that is who we are. At least I thought.

In America, I could imagine wearing red, white, and blue anytime I chose to wear these colors; I am American. I can see anyone wanting to support the American flag on their t-shirt anytime they wanted to do so, too. Is it a crime to be patriotic in your own country? It’s not a crime, but it seems to be punishable Morgan Hill’s Live Oak High School in Northern California.

So by now you may have, or you may have not heard that five students from Live Oak High were expelled for the day for wearing shirts with American imagery; some wore plain simple flags, one just one the color, most wore shirt that were by Tap-Out. Tap-Out is famous for their Mex-American line of shirts, which most of the boys sported.

The school assistant principal came to the boys, asking them to either turn the shirt inside out, or take the shirts off, but when they refused they were sent home because some other students accused them of being racist. These boys were accused of discriminating against Mexicans, but how? One boy was Hispanic; the other boys were friends with him. The boys wanted to show their American spirit on that day, and were blatantly punished for being American. But why, I cannot understand this.

What is the difference in what the administration has done to these boys? Have these young American boys not been discriminated against for being American? Shouldn’t the country come first? I believe it should, not because I am American. If I was Punkadorian, Punkadoria would come first. I feel that America has faults, but we should work, as our great nation’s founding fathers done, to make it better.

The school official felt that there was going to be a fight if something wasn’t done about this. Well shouldn’t they have done their duty and kept a close eye on the students? Sent home anyone who they felt would have been a threat to these students? I am just rambling because this is just outrageous.

But what are your feelings? Do you feel that these Five American Boys should’ve been sent home? Do you feel that the school’s administration should be punished? Leave me your thoughts and comments; I would love to hear them.